Luggage lock



5e 18, 1957 M. M. CHECK 2,795,946

LUGGAGE LOCK Filed Nov. 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll'i numuml' -aINVENTOR M M; Ceck BY I June 18, 1957 CHECK 2,795,946

LUGGAGE LOCK Filed Nov. 19. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR n. CA k BY 22 I ATTORNEY United States Patent LUGGAGE LOCK Mathias M. Check,Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company,Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 19,1953, Serial No. 393,094

4 Claims. (Cl. 70-76) This invention relates to luggage locks of theclass in which a hasp is operated by a toggle lever to secure a strikerelatively to a lock casing.

In locks of the particular class the toggle lever is usually mounted formovement relatively to the casing and is secured to the hasp for movingthe hasp as the toggle lever itself is actuated. The hasp engages thestrike and moves the strike toward the lock casing when the toggle leveris moved in one direction, a reverse movement of the toggle leverreleasing the strike from the casing.

It is extremely important in locks of this class to provide satisfactorylocking means for preventing the release movement of the hasp, and thereare numerous patents showing various types of locking means for lockingthe hasp and for locking the toggle lever, whereby in turn to lock thehasp.

As an important feature of my invention, I lock the hasp relatively tothe casing, and more particularly, I lock the hasp to that portion ofthe casing that is most closely positioned relatively to the strike. Inthis way, the hasp is locked against movement by means as closelypositioned to the strike as possible, leaving very little op portunityfor weaving of the hasp relatively to the strike and easing.

As a further particular feature of my invention, I form the hasp so thatit is equipped with surfaces lying in close juxtaposition and inreinforced relation to the lock casing. In this way, it is extremelysimple to obtain rigid and effective coaction between the hasp andlocking means carried by the casing for locking the hasp to the casing.

As another particular feature of the invention, I provide a rotatingbolt carried by the casing and moving into an opening formed in a haspsurface that lies against the lock casing, my construction being soparticularly formed that preferably I can lock to the casing both of thejuxtaposed surfaces of the hasp that lie in reinforced relation to thecasing.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of myinvention in order that the detailed description thereof that followsmay be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features ofmy invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based mayreadily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures forcarrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of myinvention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention bythose skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows my novel lock in locked position.

Fig. 2 shows the lock with the toggle lever in release position.

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Fig. 3 shows the hasp rotated downwardly to effect full release of thestrike.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the luggage lock with the base plate removed.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, showing the bolt inlocking position.

Fig. 7 shows a portion of the rear of the lock.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings,reference numeral 10 indicates the lock casing, and reference numeral 11indicates the strike. The casing 10 and strike 11 are equipped with theusual mounting flanges 12 and 13 adapted to receive rivets 14 forattaching the casing and strike to opposed parts A and B of a suitcaseor other piece of luggage. I show the flange 13 formed integrally on thestrike 11, but to form the flange 12 on the lock casing 10, I prefer toutilize projecting edge portions of a base plate 15 on the casing, as iswell shown in Figs.. 6 and 7. The casing 10 has also a body portion 16formed with lugs 17 riveted to the base plate 15. Preferably, the bodyportion 16 of the casing has a tapered part 16a on its upper end, thepurpose of this tapered part being primarily to guide the strike 11 intoproper position relatively to the casing 10.

In Figs. 3 to 5, I show the U-shaped hasp 18 pivoted at its lower end tothe toggle lever 19 through a transverse pin 20, with the toggle leverpivoted in turn to the lower end of the lock casing 10 by a second pin21. This is a usual arrangement in luggage locks of the particularclass, enabling the toggle lever 19 to pull the hasp downwardly to lockthe strike 11 relatively to the upper end of the casing 10, as in Fig.1, after the hasp has first been moved to a position over the strike asin Fig. 2. In Figs. 4 and 7, I show also an overcentering spring 22 onthe base plate 15 of the lock casing, this spring pressing against aflange 23 on the upper portion of the toggle lever 19 to hold the togglelever in either release position or locking position. The manner inwhich the toggle lever 19 actuates the hasp 18 will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art, and I believe it unnecessary,therefore, to elaborate further on the operation of the toggle lever.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, I show in the body portion 16 of thelock casing a lock assembly 24 comprising a sleeve 26 having therein arotating key plug 25, with the outer end of the plug positionedrelatively to an opening 25a in the front of the casing 10. Sleeve 26has lugs 26a, Figs. 5 and 7, engaged in slots in the base plate 15 tohold the sleeve 26 in position between the front of the casing 10 andthe base plate 15. I mount also a bolt 27 in the lock casing 10, thisbolt having a flat circular body portion 27a positioned against the base15 and rotating within the mounting sleeve 26. The inner end of the keyplug 25 is formed with cam portions 28 positioned in an opening in thecircular portion 27a of the bolt, and when the key plug 25 rotates,these cam portions 28 coact with a lug 29 on the bolt 27 to rotate thebolt.

While I have shown a particular lock assembly 24 for actuating andmounting the bolt 27, it is to be understood that the particular meansfor actuating the bolt is not important to an understanding of myinvention, and it is merely necessary to know that the lock is equippedwith suitable means for rotating the bolt 27 in the casing.

As best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, I form the bolt 27 with opposed endportions 30 adapted to move in slots 31 in the mounting sleeve 26, andbent forwardly to offset positions relatively to the body portion 27a.The opposed sides 32 of the lock casing 10, Figs. 3, 5, and 6, areformed with slots 33 aligned with the bolt ends 30, and by rotation ofthe bolt 27, the ends 30 are projected and retracted through the slots33 relatively to the lock casing 10.

For a full understanding of my invention, it is extremely important tonote that the end portions 30 of the bolt, when projected relatively tothe lock casing 'as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, are positioned tolock the hasp 18 to the casing 10 as nearly as possible to the strike11. 'In addition, the locking action of the bolt27 can be effective tolock both sides of the hasp 18 directly to the lock casing 10. I shallnow describe the novel hasp constructionwhereby I'enable the bolt 27 tocoact most efliciently with the hasp, and also enable the hasp to holdthe strike ll-rigidly in locked position relatively to the casing 10.

As shown clearly in'Figs. 3, 5, and 6, I form the hasp 18 with flanges34 that are in juxtaposed relation to the side walls 32- of the casingwhen the hasp is in locked position. Openings 35 int-he flanges 34 arethen in alignment with the slots 33 in the casing 10. When the endportions 30 of the bolt are projected into the openings 35, therefore,the hasp 18 is locked directly to the casing 10; and moreover, thelocking action occurs at two points on opposed sides of the hasp nearthe strike 11. In addition, I form the hasp flanges 34 to extend injuxtaposed relation to the sides of the strike 11, and I form on theupper end o-f'the hasp 18 between the flanges 34 a lip 37 to enter agroove 38 on the upper side of the strike 11. With the hasp- 18 lockedrigidly to the lock casing 10 by the bolt 27, and with the strike 11held relatively to the hasp 18 and casing 10 by the lip and flanges onthe hasp, the strike 11 will be locked very rigidly to the lock casing10.

I show the hasp 18 formed with an outer portion 36 extending around thehasp outwardly and rearwardly from the flanges 34 and lip 37 in such aWay as to conceal the flanges and lip when the hasp is in lockingposition. At the same time, the outer portion 36 of the hasp ispositioned over the mounting flanges 12, 13 on the strike and casing,and covers the rivets 14 in these flanges.

Through the exceedingly novel construction that I have contributed, Ienable the strike in 'a luggage lock of the particular class to belocked much more positively relatively to the lock casing. Particularly,because the lock casing 10 and hasp 18 are in reinforcing relation toone another through the flanges 34 on the hasp, I substantiallyeliminate any possibility of movement between the hasp and the casing,or between the strike and easing, when the hasp is locked by the bolt27. I believe that the construction and the operation of my novelluggage lock will now be understood, and that the very considerablevalue of my invention will be fully appreciated by those skilled in theart.

I now claim:

1. In a luggage lock of the class described, a lock oasing, a togglelever pivoted to said lock casing, a hasp having side portions pivotedto said toggle lever, a strike, a lip on said hasp through which thehasp engages said strike to pull said strike and casing toward oneanother, said toggle lever rotating on its pivot for moving said hasp toand from position locking the strike relatively to the casing, a flangeon each side portion of said hasp juxtaposed relatively to a side of thelock casing and in reinforced relation thereto when the hasp is in saidlooking position, an outer portion of said hasp formed outwardly fromsaid flanges and said lip whereby to enclose the flanges and lip whenthe hasp is in looking position, a key actuated bolt mounted to rotatein said lock casing, end portions on said bolt projected and retractedrelatively to openings in the sides of the lock casing through rotationof the bolt in the casing, and said side flanges of said hasp havingopenings into which the bolt end portions move when projected outwardlyof the lock casing whereby to lock the hasp in looking position.

2. In a luggage lock of the class described, a lockcasing, a flangeportion on said casing adapted to receive rivets'for mounting saidcasing, a strike, a flange portion on said strike adapted to receiverivets for mounting the 4 strike, a U-sh-aped hasp, a lip on said haspthrough which the hasp engages said strike to pull said strike andcasing toward one another, a toggle lever pivoted to the sides of saidhasp and to said lock casing for moving said hasp to and from positionlocking the strike relatively to the casing, a flange on each side ofsaid hasp juxtaposed relatively to a side of the lock casing and inreinforced relation thereto when the hasp is in said locking position, akey actuated bolt mounted to rotate in said lock casing, endporti-ons onsaid'bolt projected and-retracted relatively to ope'ningsin the sides ofthe lock casing through rotation of the bolt in the casing, said sideflanges of said hasp having openings into which the bolt end portionsmove when projected outwardly of the lock casing whereby to'l'ock thehasp in locking position, and an outer portion on said hasp extendingoutwardly from said lip and flanges and positioned over the flangeportions of the strike-and casing when the hasp is in' locking positionwhereby to cover the mounting rivets.

3. In a luggage lock of the class described, a lock casing, a togglelever pivoted to said lock casing, a hasp having side portions piovtedto said toggle lever, a strike, a lip on said hasp through which thehasp engages said strike to pull said strike into juxtaposed relation toone end of the lock casing, said toggle lever rotating on its pivot formoving said hasp to and from position locking the strike relatively tothe casing, a flange on each side portion of saidhasp. juxtaposedrelatively to a side of the lock casing and in reinforced relationthereto when the hasp is in saidlocking position, an outer portion ofsaid hasp formed outwardly from said flanges and said lip whereby toenclose the flanges and lip when the hasp is in locking position, a keyactuated bolt mounted to rotate in said lock casing, opposed sides ofthe lock casing formed with openings in proximity to the said one end ofthe casing, end portions onsaid bolt projected and retracted relativelyto the openings-in the sides of the lock casing through rotation of thebolt in the casing, and said side flanges of said hasp having surfacesagainst which the bolt end portions move when projected relatively tothe casing openings whereby to lock the hasp near the strike.

4. In a luggage lock of the class described, a lock casing, a togglelever pivoted to said lock casing, a hasp having side portions pivotedto said toggle lever, a strike, a lip on said hasp through which thehasp engages said strike to pull said strike and easing toward oneanother, said toggle lever being rotatable on its pivot for moving saidhasp to and from position locking the strike relatively to the casing, aflange on each side portion of said hasp juxtaposed relatively to a sideof the lock casing when the hasp is in said locking position, an outerportion of said hasp formed outwardly from said flanges and said lipwhereby to enclose the flanges and lip when the hasp is in lockingposition, said hasp and easing having opposed surfaces through whichthey are in reinforced relation to each other when the hasp is inlooking position, key actuated bolt means mounted in said lock casing,parts on said bolt means moving between projected and retractedpositions relatively to openings in the sides of the lock casing, saidside flanges of said hasp having openings aligned with the casingopenings when the hasp is in locking position whereby the bolt partswhen projected lock both sides of the hasp relatively to the casing, andsaid bolt parts when locking the hasp acting together with said opposedsurfaces to hold the hasp rigidly in locking position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS885,214 Aliano Apr. 21, 1908 1,422,214 Leibovitz July 11, 1922 2,300,508Komenak Nov. 3, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 323,280 Great Britain Jan. 2, 1930

